Brunch Bets: Prime Meats

Rarely, if ever, do I crave steak and eggs for breakfast. But when said steak and eggs are from Prime Meats, I'm easily swayed. Owned and operated by childhood friends Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo (aka "the Franks"), this Carroll Gardens restaurant is perpetually slammed with diners. And for good reason, the food and cocktails are absolutely delicious. Described as a farm-to-table restaurant with German influences, Prime Meats specializes in pre-Prohibition era handcrafted cocktails and hearty alpine cuisine. While dinner remains their specialty, one would be foolish to overlook the solid brunch.

ABC Kitchen: Always Be Contemporary

Having previously written that "Jean-Georges is one of the world's most celebrated chefs, and perhaps an even more successful businessman," it came as no surprise that he's trying to capitalize on the public's new found fascination with sustainability. What was surprising was just how wildly successful ABC Kitchen would become in such a short time. Between the countless accolades and scarcity of prime reservations, it's one of Manhattan's hottest restaurants.

Positioning itself as the farm-to-table outpost of Mr. Vongerichten's sprawling empire, Chef Dan Kluger takes full advantage of the Greenmarket, churning out some fantastic seasonal fare. In fact, the restaurant's immense popularity, combined with a lack of decent reservations, ultimately resulted in this review being so tardy. Sorry. In any event, patience is a virtue, and we were rewarded with a great meal when we finally got a reservation.

Brunch Bets: The Farm on Adderley

Waking up late last weekend, still hungover and tired from the night before, I felt like grabbing something tasty, cheap and relatively close. While Noah was likely stuffing his face at David's Brisket House, I was feeling a hot cup of coffee, breakfast meats and runny yolks. Meeting all of the aforementioned criteria, The Farm on Adderley seemed like the perfect destination. Located only a few minutes away in Ditmas Park, The Farm on Adderley turns out a damn good brunch at reasonable prices, making me question why people bother crossing the bridge for this weekend ritual.

Good Luck: Proving Bigger Isn't Always Better

In a city where the prevailing mantra surrounding portion sizes is, "bigger is better," the idea of a restaurant specializing in small plates to share might not be the most prudent decision. Yet that's exactly what Mike Calabrese, Chuck Cerankosky and Chef Dan Martello did when they opened Good Luck in 2008. Originally designed as a wine bar that would offer a limited menu, Good Luck eventually evolved into a full-blown restaurant. Good Luck now serves a promising selection of both original and classic cocktails, homemade pastas and an ever-changing charcuterie plate.

Located in the old Fabrics and Findings space off Anderson Avenue, Good Luck represents just one of the many new and dynamic restaurants to grace the city of Rochester. Living in Brooklyn and working as much as I do affords me relatively few opportunities to return home and visit family. So I often turn to my siblings, both of whom live in the Rochester area, for dining suggestions. Having been mentioned by both sisters and spoken highly of by an old friend in the industry was more than enough to convince me that reservations at Good Luck were necessary.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns: Reap What You Sow

To many, Manhattan would hardly be considered a haven for locavores. Known as a city of excess, many restaurants routinely source rare and exotic ingredients from across the globe with reckless abandon towards their carbon footprint. But a modest 45 miles outside the city, one restaurant has dedicated itself to these ideals and emerged as the country's farm-to-table mecca. Opening in 2004 in the confines of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Blue Hills at Stone Barns adopted the Center's emphasis on local and sustainable practices and incorporated them into a fine dining restaurant.

Spread across the 80 acres of land that formerly belonged to the Rockefeller Estate, are numerous greenhouses and pastures where animals run free, many of which the restaurant utilizes in the kitchen. Occurring in December, our meal at Blue Hill at Stone Barns was a snap shot of the season, incorporating absolutely sensational winter ingredients.

Lento: "L" is for Locavore

My old stomping grounds of Rochester, New York would hardly be mistaken for a culinary mecca. Most famously known for the "garbage plate," my beloved hometown has become infested with one restaurant franchise after another. But there exists a ray of light, as a contingent of new restaurants have recently emerged, bringing with them novel styles of cooking and ingredients to a city overrun with people who dare not deviate from their prime rib and crummy red sauce. One new Turk leading this revolution is Rochester-native, Art Rogers, who in 2007 opened Lento in the Village Gate area. Most recently the chef at JoJo Bistro and Wine Bar, chef Rodgers previously worked at Primo Restaurant in Rockland, Maine honing his craft under James Beard Award winning chef Melissa Kelly and has subsequently reshaped Rochester's fine dining scene with his emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients and constantly evolving menu. Having had the chance to dine there before, I made it a point to schedule a family meal at what I consider to be Rochester's most important restaurant.

Telepan: You Are What You Eat

We're all familiar with the saying, "you are what you eat." But how often have you really taken the time to ponder the true meaning of this phrase? If you're like most Americans, the answer is probably not often. But chef Bill Telepan is hardly like most Americans, and since 2005, has been determined to change that mentality at his eponymous restaurant on the Upper West Side. Having earned his chops under the tutelage of such culinary greats like: Alain Chapel, Daniel Boulud and Alfred Portale, Telepan has been featured several times in the Edible Manhattan magazine, championed by Martha Stewart and is crusading for healthier school lunches. By combining his world-class pedigree with the freshest ingredients available, Telepan has successfully won over many New Yorkers to his style of locally driven cuisine, including myself after having enjoyed a recent dinner there.